We can add Cooper Anderson to the list of fictional characters who are mad Firefly got cancelled.
(Source: asktheanderbros)
Announcement.
As of right now, this blog is on hiatus. This is for a number of reasons, and the reasons are far too many to get into right now. The short version is that I’m working on a few projects, some new, some refining, and then there’ll be a complete overhaul so there’s somewhere for me to host it all. Whether that’s here or somewhere else remains to be seen, depending on where I can get the most flexibility.
It is also possible that all other blogs I was previously involved in (Kitsch & Coffee, Trash/Circumstance) will be indefinitely paused. Sorry. But these plans are more long term, futurey type plans and at the age I’m at, I should probably start taking that kind of crap into consideration.
Muchos gracias, amigos.
Free Time: The Redux
So, about three months ago, I posted about all the things I wanted to do while I was off on Uni holidays. Time to revisit and see if I did any of it.Bake cupcakes.
I did that many delicious times.Learn how to cook something awesome.
I can now cook pork rice paper rolls with three different dipping sauces!
Cook something from scratch that I’d normally cook out of a packet.
Hello, lamb rogan josh.
Streamline my blogging platforms.
Re-code my Tumblr.
Work in progress, but I’m not done yet.
See if my Zazzle account is still active, and if it is, fix up the shop.
I didn’t even bother.
Actually promote my Tumblr and Zazzle.
Learn how to play something new on guitar.
Blackbird by the Beatles and Mood for A Day by Yes. Halfway through What You Want by John Butler.
Take my kid to the park and teach him how to play soccer.
He’s pretty good, and kinda loves just running around!
See if any of the stuff I wrote back in the day is actually any good.
I deleted most of it, because I was clearly in a dark place.
If it is, work on it.
See previous
If it isn’t, delete it forever and start again.
Yeah, this.
Re-watch S2 of Glee.
Done! Note: Dianna Agron is still one of my favourite actresses on the show. As is Jayma Mays.
Spend some time with my husband (I know it’s weird that it’s on the list, but he works random shifts - police officer - and often we don’t really SEE each other.)
We’ve hung out a bit, but we’ve also booked a weekend away for our wedding anniversary next weekend! Six years!
Plan the rest of my degree.
Barring major timetable changes in 2012, I have planned my subject trajectory for the remainder of my degree. Look out, academia!
What have we learned? That I’m far more productive when I’m doing non-University stuff. Why can’t I be this dedicated to doing the stuff I have to do? Dammit.
“Breathe Me” By Sia
This is an Accapella version made by a college group who’s name I forget. I just love it.
Yeah. Um… Just yeah.
I’m not gonna lie. “Ceremonials” is probably the best album I’ve heard all year. Most of last year too. And that is no mean feat, because I’m rating it highter than “21” and “Adalita”, and “Wasting Light”.
“Shake It Out” is THAT good. It is. It’s the same feeling you get as when you dance around like a complete idiot in the summer rain, except you feel uplifted and stronger when you’re done.
Sophomore albums can often be problematic, but it looks like Florence Welch has perfect clarity in what she wants to create. I admit it, I sat and hit “REFRESH” over and over until I could download the album, then I put my headphones on and listened to it twice straight through. My personal favourites apart from Shake were Heartlines and Spectrum, but really there’s no song on there that I want to skip.
If you claim to like music, buy it. Buy it NOW.
So, now that Jane Espenson, aka writer of just about every one of my favourite shows, has tweeted me (yes, even something so banal), I feel like twitter has nothing left to offer. Especially since Katy Steele tweeted me earlier in the year.
Maybe I should start trying to collect
Glee cast tweets?
last night’s performance of “clap your hands” on jimmy kimmel live
Can’t believe she won’t be touring any more. Devo for reals.
Ten Years Ago…
It’s September 11 here in Australia, and of course, I am reminded of what happened in the US ten years ago. The 7PM Project has been running special stories on the lead-up to the anniversary of 9/11. The first one I saw Carrie Bickmore interviewing a man who helped carry a disabled stranger down 69 flights of stairs to get her to safety. He talked about his life since, the things he’s done. But he admitted that even though it’s ten years on, he still relives that day, and is reminded of it every day.
9/11 didn’t just change the way of life for New York, or for Americans. It changed the way we as humans see each other, and at time, how destructive we can allow our hate to be. Clearly there was enough hate in these men to commit the awful crimes they perpetrated on the US that day. But afterward was the true test of character, and I saw far too many people fail than I care to admit.
At the time of 9/11 I was working for a lovely man of Turkish descent. He was honest, dignified, and of solid character. He was a devout follower of Islam. A regular customer of ours came in to the store the week after 9/11 and spat in his face. Said that “his people” deserved to be rounded up and shot for what happened in America. My boss was still dignified. The man had left, so he simply wiped the spit from his face, washed himself, and carried on. We talked about it later. He said that the Islam he believes in does not support what those men had done, and that “his people” would never have committed such acts. “His people” were people who loved Allah, loved their families, their fellow men, and didn’t think that people deserved to die for having differing beliefs to his own. I’ve read parts of the Koran. And he’s right.
I wish I could say it was the only judgemental, stereotype-based treatment of Arabs that I saw. I watched as two grown men verbally abused a Middle-Eastern looking man at a furniture store, until he had enough, turned around and said, “I’m from Argentina, and I’m Catholic, and you better believe I’m praying for your souls, you ignorant, hate-filled men.” (Actually, that was kind of awesome. I’m pretty sure someone else applauded.)
9/11 revealed to the world that hate is evident between men; that the atrocities in our histories are doomed to come back. Are we really destined to have hate be the hallmark of our race? I sincerely hope not. Because when a man carries hate in his heart, he can only carry hate, because nothing else can not beside it without becoming poisoned. The singer Marian Anderson was right when she said “You lose a lot of time, hating people.”
But it was also a time when people’s hearts poured out so much love and greatness. People who dropped what they were doing to drive hours across country to help at Ground Zero. Love like complete strangers opening their arms and homes to those trying to get off the street. Love like people all over the world, from every religion (including the Muslims) praying for peace, comfort and civility to be restored.
Of course, 9/11 brought about events with much longer lasting effects. Events over which I have no authority to comment, and I don’t even wish to speculate on them. But ten years has passed, and I hope that this anniversary is testament to good. To the selfless spirit of people, rather than the hate. To coming together instead of ostracising. To love that heals, even if it’s going to hurt a little forever. To refusing to surrender to hate.
I was seventeen on September 11, 2001. I’m twenty-seven now. The world is still uncertain, at war with itself, and you can still see hate. But if you look out for the love instead of the hate, pretty soon all that is bad will begin to fade. If you choose to represent love to another man instead of hate, that man may do the same to another. Let the next ten years be a proud, love filled endeavour. Don’t waste time with hate. Let your people be lovers.
OK, so I was trawling for some awesome covers, as I do. This is not a cover, but Sia. Damn. Like she says, “I wrote this when I was sad.” And she totally accesses that while she performs. I love love love this song.
